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Intermediate

Reflexive Verbs

Verbs with zich

The reflexive pronoun zich

Some verbs need a pronoun pointing back to the subject.

📊 Reflexive pronouns
Person Reflexive
ik me
jij je
hij/zij zich
wij ons
jullie je
zij / u zich
💬 Examples
Ik was me.
I wash (myself).
📝 me = 1st-person reflexive
Hij wast zich.
He washes (himself).
📝 zich = 3rd-person reflexive
Truly reflexive verbs

Verbs like zich vergissen always require zich.

💬 Examples
Ik vergis me.
I am mistaken.
📝 zich vergissen is always reflexive
Voel je je goed?
Do you feel well?
📝 zich voelen
Position of the reflexive

The reflexive pronoun follows the finite verb.

💬 Examples
Hij herinnert zich niets.
He remembers nothing.
📝 zich right after the verb
...dat hij zich vergist.
...that he is mistaken.
📝 zich in a sub-clause